


who needs a ring anyway?

by ObscureReference



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 03:07:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12998523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObscureReference/pseuds/ObscureReference
Summary: “Listen,” Laslow said, even though this was a terrible moment to bring it up. He felt more like Inigo than Laslow today, and it also felt like there was a hole burning in his pocket. A terrible combination. “Do you remember when we were children, and you and I were getting along for once?”





	who needs a ring anyway?

**Author's Note:**

> A short fic that is nothing but indulgent.

“Listen,” Laslow said, even though this was a terrible moment to bring it up. He felt more like Inigo than Laslow today, and it also felt like there was a hole burning in his pocket. A terrible combination. “Do you remember when we were children, and you and I were getting along for once?”

Odin, momentarily distracted from watching their lieges discuss their options a little way off, glanced over at him.  

“I’m afraid you’ll have to remind me,” Odin said. “Though you and I were great rivals for many a year, exchanging blow and cutting remark, clashing with reckless abandon every time we crossed fated paths—”

“Odin,” Laslow interrupted, feeling sweaty.

Odin must have seen the nervousness on his face, because he cleared his throat. “While the times we did not get along in our youth greatly outnumber the times we did, I’m afraid you will have to jog my memory.”

Laslow swallowed.

“We were in a field,” he said. He kept his voice low. “Cynthia and Brady and Morgan were there, but you and I were talking. Well, we were arguing, but not really.” At least, not as badly as their arguments could be. They had been a little too young for Odin to have started keeping a journal and Laslow to have begun sneaking peeks into it then. “I was talking about getting married in the future, and you said you never would. Not unless your future spouse met certain conditions.”

“I did?” Odin asked, looking surprised. Laslow nodded.

The flowers in Valla weren’t anything like the vast fields of Ylisse, but Laslow found himself reliving the memory anyway. He could see the child Owain in his minds’ eye, standing on top of that hill with his hands on his hips like nothing could ever defeat him. There had been a bandage on his chin and dirt on his knees.

“You did,” he said, and then he found himself repeating Odin’s own words with little Owain’s triumphant voice played in his ear. “You said, _I’ll never marry anybody. Not unless they travel the world and fight alongside me for years and years. Not unless they do something incredible and prove it. Not unless they give me a dragon scale or a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn. Something really amazing like that. They have to really prove they’re worthy the legendary Owain._ ”

By the time Laslow concluded the quote, his face felt hot. He would have never admitted to remembering Odin’s speech in such detail before. He felt sure Odin had to suspect something was up by now.

But all Odin said was, “Did I really say all that?” He tapped his finger on his chin. “I guess I did have grand ideas as a child. Who would have known we would have been on our way to vanquishing a dragon just a few years later? Now we’re on to our second.”

His tone was light. Laslow felt anything but.

“Right,” he agreed, sounding nervous even to himself. “It’s just, uh…”

Odin cocked his head.

“Are you feeling all right?” he asked. He stepped closer. “Should I inquire as to whether we are moving ahead or not? I know you’re feeling nervous about being so close to finishing this war, but…”

Laslow mentally cursed. It was now or never.

“It’s not a dragon scale or unicorn horn or anything,” he said. He took the item out of his pocket and lowered himself to one knee. “But…”

Odin stared, slack-jawed. His arm froze mid-air where he’d been going to lay his hand on Laslow’s shoulder.

Somewhere just out of Laslow’s field of vision, he heard Selena loudly say, _“Oh my gods.”_

His face burned. He had no idea how many people had turned to stare at the sound of her voice, but he could practically feel their eyes on him. It made his skin itch. He wanted to crawl into the dirt and hide forever.

But he was also in the middle of a proposal, so that would have to wait.

He held up the blue feather, clutching the end tightly between his two fingers so it wouldn’t blow away in the breeze. For days he’d been afraid of smothering or breaking the feather in some way, but now that he held it up, he could see only a few edges were ruffled. It was still the same radiant blue it had been when Lord Xander had allowed him to pluck it. Still, Laslow’s heart was beating faster than when they were in the heat of battle.

“I didn’t capture the bird myself,” he admitted. “But Lord Xander told me the feather this bird comes from is just as rare as a phoenix. Some hunter brought it to him, already dead, and he allowed me to take a feather after I explained what I wanted it for.” That had been an awkward conversation in itself. Laslow owed Xander even more now.

He continued, “I know we’re not in Ylisse anymore and you’ve shed your identity as prince, but…” Laslow had done a lot of trailing off today, and he wasn’t done yet. He gestured to the feather and hoped that made up for it. “It’s tradition for the royal family, right? Not using rings?”

Blue was a royal Ylissian color, right? It had been Chrom’s color, at least, and that had to count for something. The man was Odin’s uncle and had still been in charge when they’d left.

Odin stared. Laslow felt there was steam coming out of his ears.

“Please say something,” he begged. “My neck really hurts from looking up at you like this and everyone’s staring and if you’re going to say no, I’d appreciate it if you just told me now.”

Odin grabbed his arm and pulled Laslow back up to his feet in one easy motion. Laslow stumbled but didn’t fall. Odin curled his fingers over Laslow’s own, and he stared with an intensity that Laslow melted under every time.

“You seriously remembered that?” Odin asked. “That speech I made when we were kids?”

It felt dumb now in hindsight, but Laslow had never forgotten that speech. It had sat heavy on his mind that night and continued to float through his thoughts every now and again afterward. It had been a long time before Laslow had actually started to look at Odin with anything besides annoyance and frustration, but later he’d wondered if some part of him hadn’t always known it would come to this.

Clearly Odin had not put the same emphasis on his own words.

“Come on,” Laslow said, feeling a little whiney and embarrassed. “How was I supposed to know you’d forget? I took those words really seriously, you know.”

Odin laughed and kissed his cheek. Laslow, still without a proper answer, felt only minorly placated.

“I know,” Odin said. “I don’t mean to tease. I’m actually really touched that you’d remember all that.”

“A bunch of Risen did chase us out of the field almost immediately after you said that,” Laslow admitted. “I can’t exactly blame you.” Were people still watching? He didn’t have the courage to check. The feather felt brittle in his fingers. “So… is that a yes?”

He looked up at Odin through his eyelashes, trying for sly. He had no idea if he pulled it off. Odin rolled his eyes and plucked the feather from Laslow’s fingers with his free hand, smiling softly all the while. A wave of expectation slowly filled Laslow’s chest.

Odin pressed his forehead to Laslow’s. Laslow suddenly couldn’t bring himself to care if anyone was watching.

“How could I say no?” Odin said. “You fit all my criteria, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> In the Harvest Moon games, I like that you propose with a blue feather instead of a ring. Let's pretend the Ylissian royalty have a similar tradition.
> 
> Feel free to leave a comment below or hit me up on my [tumblr!](http://someobscurereference.tumblr.com/)


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